Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake


Printable Recipe

I found this recipe on Go Bold with Butter.

Even though it is a somewhat putzy recipe, it really is quite good - very moist.

Crumb Topping 
1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp  cinnamon
pinch salt

Cream Cheese Swirl
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Coffee Cake
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups sour cream

To make the Crumb Topping
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Set aside.

To make the Cream Cheese Swirl
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until fluffy.  Mix in the vanilla and cinnamon until well combined.  Set aside.

To make the Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13" pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla.

Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.  Stir in the sour cream and mix just until combined.

Spoon into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Top with spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture.  Use an up and down motion with a knife to marbelize.   Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of the cake.  Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Peanut Butter Cookies


Printable Recipe

These cookies are soft and chewy, and stay that way for several days.  They're very good!

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling*
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter chips (I did not add)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
     In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and the salt.  Set aside.
In another large bowl, cream the butter, and the peanut butter, until light and fluffy.  Add the sugars, and beat until smooth.  Add the egg, and mix well.  Add the milk and the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.  Stir in the peanut butter chips.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion.  Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisscross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies.  Lightly sprinkle cookies with sugar.  Bake 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheets before removing and the cool thoroughly on a wire rack.  Store the cookies in an air-tight container, and they will keep for several days.

*I use a clean salt shaker filled with granulated sugar to sprinkle the sugar on the cookies before baking, and it works real well.  (Just be sure to label the shaker.) You can lightly tap the edge of the pan over the sink to remove the excess sugar if you wish, but it is not necessary.